Chapter 409
Chapter 409
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 409
>Chapter Title: Aul
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Grand Sorcerer Dran's exposé didn't end there.
He confessed in detail everything he had done under Oukan's command and how those actions had impacted the tribes.
By the time the full story had come out, the warriors found it hard to speak.
"No way..."
"Geyar Driman..."
It was hard to believe.
To think that Geyar Driman had fallen that far!
Among the many anecdotes, two stood out as particularly shocking.
One.
The 'Amar Challenger.'
Two.
The 'Pushk Tribe.'
The cowardly trick played on the Amar Challenger was, in a way, no different from Geyar Driman tainting his own legitimacy, since Amar itself was an ancient tradition of the steppes.
In that way, Oukan had lost his legitimacy as Geyar Driman.
And furthermore... the deeds against the Pushk Tribe came to light, costing him the trust of the tribes.
What use was legitimacy or public favor to a dead man? But this wasn't about slandering the dead—it was for the living to move forward.
"Revenge is meaningless. It only spills unnecessary blood. If you all die here, who will protect this Great Steppe? Though I am a sinner... please heed my words and judge wisely."
That was why Dran had revealed Oukan's atrocities. He didn't want sacrifices. He hoped the Great Steppe's warriors wouldn't die in vain.
Once the full truth was out, the warriors' gazes toward Yurbuke softened somewhat.
...Of course, some still looked on him poorly for bringing in continentals—specifically, a mage.
And so, a few days passed.
"......"
Aster was strolling through the heart of Oukan's camp.
Since Oukan's death, the camp's atmosphere had noticeably grown chaotic.
'Well, that makes sense.'
The tribes of the Great Steppe had always been independent groups, never truly united. They had only come together temporarily under the powerful name of Geyar Driman.
So, the confusion was only natural...
'...Talk of a confederation, was it?'
The unusual chaos was probably due to that.
A confederation.
An unprecedented massive alliance in the history of the Great Steppe—naturally, it couldn't avoid the noise.
But honestly...
'...Not my problem.'
The one piece of news that caught his interest was that several tribal chiefs had recommended Yurbuke as the leader of the confederation.
Oukan aside, the chiefs' opinions suggested Yurbuke carried real weight in Maharpalt.
Honestly, it was surprising.
To Aster, he seemed like nothing more or less than an ordinary tribal chief.
"...Because he erased the spells so well?"
That could be it.
They had benefited greatly from Yurbuke in this battle. Hand Yurbuke to the Empire, and conquering the Great Steppe might not be such a pipe dream.
Anyway.
"Hm."
Aster stopped and stared at the tent in front of him.
The tent was adorned with beast bones and colorful ritual symbols, proclaiming it the home of a sorcerer. Warriors from Oukan's Shurk Tribe stood guard around it.
As Aster watched for a moment and then approached, the warriors subtly gripped the hilts of the greatswords at their waists.
"What business?"
Aster met their wary eyes and replied.
"I'm called."
"Called? By who..."
A voice came from inside the tent right then.
"Me. Step aside."
"Grand Sorcerer?"
"Don't ask questions. Just step aside. Another guest will arrive soon—I'll ask the same then."
"...Understood."
The Shurk Tribe warrior silently stepped back at Grand Sorcerer Dran's command. Aster patted the warrior's shoulder and entered the tent.
The inside was more ordinary than expected.
'I thought it'd be more of a mess...'
It felt no different from a regular warrior's tent.
Grand Sorcerer Dran's voice of the Shurk Tribe came right then.
"Even if it looks this way, I'm a sinner now. They can't leave ritual tools with a criminal."
"For a sinner, it looks pretty luxurious..."
"Don't worry. I have no intention of putting on airs to lighten my punishment."
Aster wasn't particularly worried.
No, to begin with, he didn't think Grand Sorcerer Dran needed to atone.
Anyway.
"Why'd you call me? We're not exactly the type to chat."
"To repay you."
"Repay?"
At Aster's question, Grand Sorcerer Dran nodded.
"You showed mercy. You prevented needless sacrifices too."
Mercy referred to going easy on the warriors. Needless sacrifices meant Pushk.
So, he meant to repay that...
"Why are you the one repaying it?"
"It happened when Oukan was alive, so think of it as me thanking you in his place."
It was a justification that wasn't easy to grasp at first, but Aster nodded as if he accepted it. After all, in such matters, the justification mattered less than the intent.
'Yeah, sure.'
But...
Honestly, he was suspicious.
Dran didn't seem to have anything to give.
'The guardian charm that blocks spells is tempting, but they probably took all his ritual tools. And accumulated wealth? Doubt it.'
Steppe tribes were poor to begin with. Driman-level might differ, but a grand sorcerer was essentially a volunteer position.
Maybe some jewelry?
As Aster eyed Dran's ornaments with subtle interest, Dran noticed and gave a faint smile.
"This old man isn't giving wealth."
"Then?"
Dran answered.
"Your 'aul.'"
"......"
"I'll tell you about it."
* * *
...Aul.
Fate, mission, responsibility, duty... Encompassing all those meanings, something unique to the Maharpalt tribes.
Dran's offer to explain it was quite intriguing to Aster.
Why wouldn't it be?
In truth, Aster had been interested in 'fate' even before learning about 'aul.'
It started when...
The red dragon.
'The Last Lord, he said.'
After meeting that guy.
At the time, it had said...
- Your fate has veered off course. You'll bear a greater fate than the one you were meant to shoulder. But it's not too late to turn back.
It was hard to understand at first.
'Veered off course?'
Did that mean 'fate' existed? And that his fate was flowing down a different path than intended?
If so, what was the cause?
The answer was simple.
'...Heaven-Reversing.'
That insidious transcendent artifact.
It wasn't just the Lord who spoke of 'fate.'
- Divine punishment... or heavenly fortune. What a peculiar fate.
Pushk's grand sorcerer.
When Aster asked what it meant, he brushed it off with, 'Your aul is not my aul,' and moved on.
And that was it?
- Kainah, I want to hear what your aul is.
Even Oukan.
At this point, Aster couldn't help but be curious.
The Lord said his fate had veered off. The grand sorcerer called it peculiar. And Oukan had shown wariness by asking about 'aul.'
What exactly...
'...did they see?'
Of course, he knew. Knowing about 'aul' or 'fate' wouldn't do him any good.
If it couldn't be changed, it was meaningless. If it could, it was ultimately useless.
Still, curiosity was curiosity.
"Do you know what aul is?"
"I know the meaning."
"Then let's start there. In truth, aul's true meaning is 'role.'"
"...Role?"
"Yes. I've heard of a continental game called chess. Think of it like that—it'll be easier. King, queen, knight, pawn... The pieces have different names and slightly different roles. Seeing aul is about seeing your own role."
So, Dran's explanation was this.
Confirming your 'aul' lets you know if you're a 'king,' 'queen,' 'knight,' or 'bishop.'
"Of course, it's not a perfect fit... But that's why Oukan reacted so sensitively to your aul. Yours was overwhelmingly vast."
"So, he mistook it for a new king appearing on a chessboard where he was supposed to be the king?"
"Exactly. A single faction can't have two kings."
In fact, that was why Oukan had coveted Yurbuke too, apparently.
True aul-bearers were rare in the Great Steppe, and he thought gathering them would help form his own aul.
"What a fool. He got devoured by his aul."
"...Can't argue with that."
Dran nodded with a bitter expression.
'Devoured by his aul' perfectly described Oukan's state.
He had risen to Geyar Driman's seat through his own achievements, not aul.
But at some point, Oukan fixated on aul and started seeing everything he'd accomplished as blessings from it, not his own merit.
'But that's not how it works...'
Aul doesn't grant abilities or achievements. You have those abilities and accomplishments, and that's why aul descends upon you...
'Oukan, Oukan.'
Dran thought of the once-youthful Oukan and gave a wry smile. Aster's voice came right then.
"So."
Aster, sitting across the campfire, looked at Dran with sunken eyes and spoke.
"What is my aul?"
He'd heard enough explanation.
Now for the main point.
But Dran's answer was unexpected.
"I don't know the details."
"You don't know?"
"That's right. I already examined your aul once with Oukan. But it was too vast. I couldn't even gauge it. However..."
Aster clenched his fist, then relaxed it upon realizing Dran wasn't finished. He could switch from 'light' to 'severe' punishment later.
And when Dran spoke...
...Aster narrowed his eyes at him. Then, in a somewhat sharp voice, he asked.
"Old man, you want your head exploded? Say that again. What did you say?"
Dran bit his lip amid the surging killing intent. He had expected it—this was a monstrous mage. But Dran didn't take back his words.
"I said... death clings to your aul."
"And?"
"That the executor of that death isn't far off."
"Go on."
Aster watched Dran with arms crossed. Up to here, it didn't matter much. Everyone dies. But the 'executor of death' Dran mentioned was the issue.
"The one who will execute your death is the Amar Challenger."
In other words, Dran was saying:
- Shain kills Aster.
Aster's eye twitched at Dran's unyielding stance. Amid that, Dran added one more thing and concluded.
"I spoke only what I read from your aul. I swear it on my spirit—that these words are true."
With that, the spirit appeared. As if boasting its presence.
...Meaning Dran's words were true.